Top 10 Facts About Garry Marshall You Didn't Know

The creator of Happy Days, Garry Marshall has died. He passed away today at an undisclosed hospital in Burbank, California after a brief complication as a result of pneumonia. Garry Marshall was the director of Pretty Woman, Beaches and Nothing in Common. He died at the age of 81 and had suffered a stroke.

Before his death, Garry Marshall was a writer and a director, and have directed number of works. He left behind his wife, Barbara, and three children; Lori, Kathleen and Scott. The funeral service will be a private ceremony, but a memorial is being planned later this year on 13 November, his birthday.

Here Are 10 Things You Didn't Know About Garry Marshall

1. Marshall was involved in a string of hits from 'Laverne & Shirley' to 'Pretty Woman,' 'Mork and Mindy' and 'Runaway Bride.

2. Garry Marshall was one of the funniest man whoever lived according to Richard Gere who called Mr Marshall "one of the funniest men who ever lived". Henry Winkler also corroborated Richard Gere , saying, he is "larger than life, funnier than most, wise and the definition of a friend.

3. Mr Marshall is from the Bronx, New York City, United States. He is a career journalist and have worked with the New York Daily News.

4. Garry Marshall was forced into comedy as a result of the influence of his neighborhood, he said, "In the neighborhood where we grew up in, the Bronx, you only had a few choices," Marshall continued "You were either an athlete or a gangster, or you were funny."

5. He directed Runaway Bride, and The Princess Diaries.

Garry Marshall and his wife, Barbara

6. Comedians buys jokes from him. Garry Marshall started selling jokes to comedians in the 1960s.

7. Garry Marshall had three of the top five comedies on air in 1979, with Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Mork and Mindy starring Robin Williams.

8. Everyone loved Garry Marshall. He was a mentor and a cheerleader.

9. Mr. Marshall was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame for his contributions to the field of television in 1997. In 2012, he was also inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

10. He was the brother of actress/director Penny Marshall and Ronny Marshall Hallin, a TV producer. His father was of Italian descent, his family having come from San Martino sulla Marrucina, Chieti, Abruzzo, and his mother was of German, English, and Scottish ancestry. His father changed his last name from "Masciarelli" to "Marshall" before Garry was born.